With Iran on the way to normalizing economic and political ties with the outside world, cultural experts see the development as opportune time to also chart ways to incorporate the Iranian perspective into creative productions and content, and spread content popular elsewhere in the world to Iran.
As Korean President Park Geun-hye visits Iran (May 1-3) to discuss ways to collaborate and give momentum to bilateral economic interaction, the government is Seoul and private companies are looking for ways to spread the word about Korean culture as a way to build stronger ties between the two nations, reports koreajoongangdaily.joins.com.
Korean culture, especially traditional style, isn’t so foreign to many Iranians, as two Korean period dramas – ‘Jewel in the Palace’ (2003-2004) and ‘Jumong’ (2006-2007) - were big hits there. ‘Jewel in the Palace,’ which featured different types of elaborate royal court dishes, achieved a viewership rating of 86% in Iran when it was aired on weekends in 2006 and 2007, Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time.
The Korean Embassy in Iran even hosted a ‘Korean Cultural Week’ with the theme of Korean food in 2014 to let local fans enjoy the dishes they had seen on TV at home.
Experts say it might be smart to present more of what Iranians are already familiar with, such as Korean period dramas.
“Iran has shown its respect for traditional culture,” said Sun Seung-hye, director of the cultural cooperation division at the foreign ministry, adding that spreading the word on Korea’s traditional culture might be a good first step toward further cultural exchange in the future.
To expedite such plans, both countries sat down for the fourth Korea-Iran Joint Cultural Commission last week. The commission discussed a variety of cultural content ranging from the arts and education to media and sports, and also contemplated ways to promote Korean studies in Iran along with Korean language education.
Period dramas can be one thing to ignite Hallyu [the Korean Wave] in the country, as such dramas usually include personal, family and social values in the story, which I think many Iranians appreciate,” said Sun, who recently visited Iran for the meeting.
Topics discussed through the commission will contribute much in encouraging mutual cultural exchanges among the younger generation, he said.
